Rajasthan bribery case: Another ACB inspector, 50 govt employees under scanner
ASP Surendra Sharma was among three people who were detained by the ACB on Monday night for allegedly taking bribe from mining mafias in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur.
A day after assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Surendra Sharma, was detained by the agency for allegedly taking bribe from mining mafias, ACB officials have put another inspector from the agency under scanner along with around 50 other government employees.
“An inspector from the Sawai Madhopur ACB unit is also under our radar. He had also been threatening other department officials and taking bribes along with Sharma to protect the illegal mines operations in the area. However, we are yet to gather more evidence against him,” a senior official familiar with the matter said.
He further said, “Around 50 other department officials from Sawai Madhopur are also under our radar who have colluded with these ACB officers and paid them bribes.”
Sharma was among three people who were detained by the ACB on Monday night, along with two of his middlemen, for allegedly taking bribe from mining mafias in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur, officials said.
“The action was taken based on a tip-off received from our internal sources that the ASP, identified as Surendra Sharma, had been taking a monthly bribe from local illegal mine owners through Ramraj Meena and Pradeep Pareek aka Bunty. The agency conducted raids at six locations across the state and recovered bribe money amounting to about ₹13 lakh. The accused were also detained for questioning,” ACB director general Ravi Prakash Meharda said.
Sharma was appointed in the Sawai Madhopur’s ACB unit as an ASP in 2022 and had reportedly been taking bribes since then.
According to the officer, ASP Sharma also threatened officials from local departments of mines, forest, and transport asking for bribes.
“We first tapped Ramraj and put his phone on surveillance. We then recorded his conversation with ASP Sharma and Pradeep,” the police official said.
Sharma was initially also shifted to ACB headquarters in Jaipur on May 6. “However, he continued to take bribes despite the transfer. Eventually, we detained him along with his two middlemen. Further probe is underway,” Meharda added.
